Motor-vehicle.



PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

L.S.PLATAU.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO.Z3, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.M O O ww oumw.

L. S. FLATAU. MOTR APPLICATION FILED Maza, 1903.

VEHICLE.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. S. FLATAU.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.23, 1903.

10.779.120. lAINm) JAN. 3,19%

'4 SHEETS-SHEET a.,

W HNESSES.- [Nl/ENTOR:

No. 779,120. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

L. S. PLATA'U.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLIOATION FILED 13110.23, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WHW/55555; I [NVE/V701?.-

IINTT an STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

LOUIS S. FLATAU, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.`

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,120, dated. January 3, 1905.

Application filed December 23, 1903. Serial No. 186,318.

To @ZZ whom t 11m/,y concern:

Be it known that I, Louis S. FLArAU,a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in motor-vehicles.

Said invention has for its object, among other things, to provide for transmitting or applying the driving power more especially to the forward wheel axle or shaft to exert a pulling action as distinguished from'a pushing action.

Further objects of the invention are to provide for the application of the motor to vehicles of the present type as drawn or propelled by horse-power with but few changes in such vehicles and to greatly simplify the construction and expedite the actuation of the shifting and steering mechanism.

Said invention consists of the combination of parts, including their construction, substantially as hereinafter more fully described by the following description and particularly pointed out by the claims concluding said description. I

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention,

' Figure I is aview taken in horizontal section through the inclosing casing with the other features shown in plan view. Fig. 2 is a broken transverse vertical section produced through the shipping mechanism. Fig. 3 is a broken longitudinal section taken through the inclosing casing and through the parts contained therein. Fig. 4 is a detailed section showing more particularly the steering mechanism and adjunctive parts at that point. Fig. 5 is a detail transverse section through the shipper. Fig. 6 is an enlarged broken-away detailed View, principally in section, showing more particularly one of the universal joints in the driving-shaft.

In the carrying out of my invention I provide a suitable casing or support 1 for the convenient housing or inclosing of the operative parts and within which may be also arranged a motor proper of any suitable type, together with the adjunctive parts thereof, according as to whether electricity, gasolene, acetylene, steam, compressed air, or other motive Huid be used. Said casing or housing is secured to and suspended from the reach or connection 2 and is braced in position by suitable means, as ametallic strap or chain 1b. Said casing is arranged with its longitudinal dimension at right angles to the transverse or cross-sectional area of the vehicle and constitutes the means of connection between the forward wheel-axle and the latter or its reach, as will appear from the following description of parts.

A shaft 3 passes through the end walls IC of the casing l, it having applied or secured thereto near its ends boxes or sleeves 3, provided with ball-bearings 3b, arranged therebetween, and annular plates or rings 3, bolted to said end walls, and which ball-bearings form the bearings and sustain the weight of said shaft, with its adjunctive parts, serving to reduce friction and aiding to more easily transmit the driving power and to render the vehicle easy-running. Connected to said shaft, preferably, as shown, by what may be termed universal couplings 4 4a, are the forward wheel axles or spindles 44, the wheels 4b being fixed to said spindles oraxles. The couplings for each spindle or axle include duplicate tnmbling-rod-like joints constructed, as well understood, with the angular sleeve 4fLe ofone joint sliding upon the corresponding extension or terminal 4uc of the other joint. Said spindles or axles themselves are each carried by and revoluble within a steel bearing or sleeve 4d, itself axially pivoted, as at 4e, within upper and lower steel plates 4f, riveted or secured to preferably arcuate end extensions 4g of the casing or housing l. The aforesaid arrangement of parts permits of the angular movement or adjustment of the forward wheel axles or spindles and their wheels either forward or rearward and yet allows of the turning or axial movement of said spindles and wheels simultaneously, as in steering or shifting the direction of movement of the vehicle, as readily appreciated. The bearings or sleeves 4l are connected together by what may be called a pilot-bar 5, having its ends pivoted or connected to right-angled arms 4, integral or cast with said sleeve or bearings, and are IOO therefore adapted to be simultaneously actuated, as presently disclosed. Said pilot-bar is acted upon by springs 6, so as to hold the forward wheels normally Lparallel about with the vehicle-body or at right angles to the shaft 3, said spring being applied to said rod and bearing upon the inner sides of the end walls 1c of the casing or housing l, as shown, said pilot-bar being further referred to hereinafter. Also connected to and arranged upon said shaft 3 are two beveled cog-wheels or idlers 7, with both of which are continually in gear or mesh a corresponding cogwheel 8, fixed to or carried by the motor-shaft 9, suitably supported in position within the casing or housing 1. Said cog-wheels 7 have applied to their outer and inner sides frictional disks or pieces 7 L 7 a, and upon the shaft 3 are also fixed or secured frictional disks or plates 10 10, opposed to and normally out of contact with the like disks 7 a of the cogwheels 7.

A sliding or endwise-movable spool or slide 11 is arranged upon the shaft 3, comprising a central member or ring 15mx and lateral fiared frictional disks or plates 12, said parts 15tm and 12 having a feathered or splined connec- V tion 11 with said shaft.

A screw or screw-threaded shaft 14 is suitably journaled in the casing or housing l below the aforesaid described parts and has sleeved thereon and actuating a shipper 15, having what may be termed a cuff or substantially ring-shaped portion 15*m encompassing the central ring member of said spool intermediately of the lateral flared frictional.

disks l2 to provide for its shipment, so as to be controlled by'either of the cog-wheels 7, according as to whether it may be desired to go ahead or reverse the direction of movement. Said cuff and the lateral frictional disks have arranged therebetween ball-bearings 13 to reduce friction at those points. Said screw or shaft 14 is actuated by a beveled pinion l5 thereon, geared to a corresponding pinion 16, carried by a shaft 17, suitably supported and journaled in position and driven by a beveled pinion 18 thereon, geared to a corresponding pinion 15, carried by thel chauffeur or operator actuated shaft 20. The shaft 20 has applied for convenience of operation to its upper end, preferably, a crank 20a and passes through a tubular or hollow shaft 21, having fixed to its corresponding end, preferably, a handle-bar 2la for the same purpose. Said hollow shaft has also fixed to it at its lower end an arm 22, passing through or otherwise connected to a stud 23, swiveled to the pilot-bar 5, to provide by suitably actuating said shaft for moving or actuating said pilot-bar to accordingly adjust or move the forward wheel axles or spindles and their wheels, as above noted, as in effecting the steering operation.

It will be noted that with a few changes or the displacement of some parts and the substitution of others therefor my invention may be readily applied to vehicles of that type now operated or propelled by horsepower,as is obvious. It is further noted that in my invention the power of propulsion, as well as the steering of the machine, is applied from or through the forward wheel axles or spindles, whereby a pulling action is obtained as distinguished from a pushing' action, as where the propelling power is directed through the rear axle.

Latitude is allowed as to details herein, as they may be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention and said invention yet remain intact and be protected. i

. Iclaim- 1. In a motor-vehicle, a driven axle having independently-movable spindles bearing wheels, with their bearings axially pivoted in position, arms fixed to said bearings, a pilotbar pivotally connected to said arms, a manually-actuated shaft having an arm controlling the movementof said pilot-bar, asecond shaft, and reversing mechanism connected up with said second shaft.

2. In a motor-vehicle, a driven axle having independently-movable spindles bearing wheels, with their bearings axially pivoted in position, arms fixed to said bearings, a pilotbar pivoted to said arms, springs for controlling said pilot-bar, a manually-actuated shaftv having an arm connected to said pilot-bar, reversing mechanism and a second shaft geared to said reversing mechanism.

3. In a motor-vehicle, a driven axle having independently-movable spindles bearing wheels, with their bearings axially pivoted in position, arms fixed to said bearings, a pilotbar pivotally connected to said arms, a manually-actuated shaft having an arm connected to said pilot-bar, a second shaft, a reversingscrew geared to said second shaft, a shipper actuated by said screw, reversely-driven gearwheels and frictional disks connected to said axle, said shipper adapted to effect engagement laterally with said gear-wheels and frictional disks.

11. In a motor-vehicle, a driven axle or shaft having universally-coupled spindles bearing wheels sleeve-bearings for said spindles, axially pivoted in position, arms fixed to said sleeve-bearings, a pilot-bar pivoted to said arms and a manually-actuated shaft having arm connections with said pilot-bar.

5.y In a motor-vehicle, a driven axle having universally-coupled spindles bearing wheels, sleeve-bearings for said spindles, axially-pivoted in position, arms fixed to said sleevebearings, a pilot-bar pivoted to said arms, a manually-actuated shaft having arms connected with said pilot-bar, a reversing-screw, a second shaft geared up with said reversingscrew, frictional disks splined to said axle, reversely-driven gearing, and a shipper ac- 'IOO IIO

tuated by said reversing-screw and adapted to move said frictional disks laterally into engagement with said gearing.

6. In a motor-vehicle, a shaft carrying wheels, a screw-shaft, means for actuating the latter shaft, a shipping spool or slide having a sliding connection with the former shaft and actuated by said latter shaft and laterally equipped with frictional disks or plates, and oppositely-turning gear-wheels carried by the lirst-referred-to shaft and geared to a motorshaft, said gear-wheels also having frictional disks engaged by the aforesaid frictional disks.

7. In a motor vehicle, a shaft carrying wheels, a screw-shaft, means for actuating the latter shaft, a shipping spool or slide having a splined connection with the former shaft and actuated by said latter shaft and laterally equipped with frietional disks or plates, oppositely-turning gear-wheels carried by the first-referred-to shaft and geared to a motorshaft, said gear-wheels also having frictional disks engaged by the aforesaid frictional disks, and additional friotional disks carried by said first-referred-to shaft and opposed laterally vto said oppositely-turning gear-wheels.

8. A motor-vehicle havinga steering or forward wheel shaft, a motor-shaft, means for gearing said steering-wheel shaft to said motor-shaft, and means for shipping said steering-shaft gearing with relation to the motorshaft gearing, whereby the propelling power is applied` through the forward or steering wheel axle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

i LOUIS S. FLATAU.

Witnesses:

CHAS. S. SHALLENBERGER, J. S. DoBYNs. 

